Thank you everyone for being ‘Hooked On Fishing!’

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I want to thank the derby committee, all the volunteers, the sponsors, the donors, our event partners, and everyone who participated in the 9th Annual ‘Hooked On Fishing’ Opening Day Trout Derby on Lake Wilderness. It is truly a community celebration with huge community support. The derby is about more than just fish. The derby is about a shared community experience with some exciting fish stories to be told and re-told for years to come. It’s a chance to have a family camping experience, staying up late or maybe even all night, and letting go of our high-tech world for just a little while. Please visit our home page to see a few moments captured in the pictures on our website.

And I say it every year - this derby wouldn’t happen without the enthusiasm and passion of the derby committee: Gerry Day, The Most Supreme High Head Weigh Master; Dr. Scott Bennion, The Derby Guy (Maple Valley Vision Clinic), Giles Nelson (Maple Valley Rotary), The Prize Queen Kim Emmons (John L. Scott, Maple Valley), Volunteer King Jack Emmons (John L. Scott, Maple Valley), Happy Camper Lucia Pearson (BECU), The Seven Tool Guy Bill VanRuff (Maple Valley Rotary), Tannley DeVincent (City of Maple Valley Lake Wilderness Lodge), Kevin Patterson (Tahoma School District), Fire Marshall Scott Webster (Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety), Anthony Heppersaria (Coast Guard Auxiliary), City of Maple Valley Parks & Rec and Police Department; and Cathy Butcher and Dave Barber from the Lake Wilderness Preservation Association.

Sponsorships make the derby viable. Thank you to our ‘Big Fish’ sponsors: Johnson’s Home & Garden, Valley Medical Center, Fred Meyer, and The Voice of the Valley; specialty sponsors Puget Sound Energy, BECU, Tina McDonough- Windermere, Dr. Scott Bennion Maple Valley Vision Clinic, MutliCare, Covington Copy It, Mail It; All Service Plumbing, Real Life Church, Comcast Business Services, Junior Junction Day School, Allstate The Jenson Agency@Four Corners, Able Embroidery, Maple Valley Signs, A&A Home Pro Care, Drs. Joel & Danny Rude, Four Corners Veterinary Clinic, John L. Scott Maple Valley; Maple Valley Reporter, Maple Valley Muffler, Motorplex, Real Life Church, and Valley Automotive Repair & Electric.

Many groups are involved throughout the event helping to make it a safe, fun, family experience: The Maple Valley and King County Explorer Scouts, City of Maple Valley Police, City of Maple Valley Parks, King County Marine Patrol, Lake Wilderness Preservation Association, Maple Valley CERT, Maple Valley Fire Fighters Union, Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety, US Coast Guard Auxiliary and the clean-up crew, Lake Wilderness Ward LDS Youth Group. Maple Valley Rotary once again served up fabulous burgers and hotdogs Friday night followed by their famous fisherman’s breakfast at midnight. Maple Valley Rotary contributes greatly to the success of this event and I just can’t thank them enough. Thank you to all the cooks in the kitchen!!! (especially My Houseboy).

The volunteers are incredible and begin their work early Friday morning with the skilled workforce of the fire-fighters from Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety (Shift C this year lead by Pete Askevold) along with chamber board members and the hard-working team from John L. Scott, Maple Valley. The fish pen was carefully set up under the watchful eye of the Head Weigh Master Gerry Day – expert net-setters include Phil and Lucia Pearson and Scott Bennion. Volunteers throughout the event manned the apparel, bait, and Fins & Grins booths, sold tickets, cleaned fish, and served as weigh masters in training and fish guides. I so hope I don’t leave someone off this list:

Alina VanRuff, Amy Kuiper, Ashley Markus, Ben & Renee Stouffer, Berthy Carson, Beverly Raastad, Bill Allison, Billy VanRuff, Billy Woodcock, Bo Burridge, Bob & Cheryl Castagna - The Dynamic Duo, Bob Wagner, Bryan Kelley, Christine Noll, Cindy Broome, Clark Davis, Claudia Barnes, Crystal Soto Rodriguez, Danielle Bricker, Danny Shin, Debbie Bird, Dick Anderson, Don Hayes, Doug Corbin, Elsie Chaudoin, Erin Weaver, Garp Taylor, Gary & Ann Taylor, Gerry Day, Gil Sandoval, Haley Chaudoin, Irvalene Moni, Jack & Kim Emmons, Jennifer Carol, Jerry & Andrea Eshleman, Jessi Oats, Jim & Marcia Flynn, Jim & Rhonda Madison; Joel, Mary & Bailey Pricco; Kathy Pryor, Katie Michelson, Kevin Kalberg, Kevin Patterson, Kyana VanRuff, Layne Barnes , Les Scott, Linda Caudle, Linda Johnson, Lindsey Hoffman, Lucy Coffman, Maple Valley Rotary, Marcus Coselman, Mark Hagood, Marney Hadley, Mary Easton, Mary Johnson, Michael & Karen Crowe, Nicole James, Nohea Sadang, Pam McCain, Patti Hammett, Phil & Lucia Pearson, Phil Wertheimer, Rebecca Rohman, Rob & Jeannine Day, Roxanne Michelson, Ryan Bennion, Sandi Hall, Sandi Sutton, Scott Bennion, Scott Muller, Steve Strong, Tahoma InterAct Club, Tanya Karin, Tim Bryan, Tina McDonough, Tom Leavitt, Tom Mulvihill; Tony, Katie, & Jacquilyn Zamora; Traci Hipple, Tricia Hudson, Troy Coselman, and Victoria Jonas.

I have to give a special shout-out to Sandi Sutton and Roxanne Michelson – they stayed up ALL night in derby headquarters and were still smiling at noon on Saturday and another shout-out to Bryan Kelley who was always there when I needed him both Friday and Saturday (although I haven’t seen him since . . . . ).

Please click here for a complete list of sponsors, prize donors, and partnering organizations.

Thank you everyone for being ‘Hooked On Fishing!’ Mark your calendars for next year – April 27 & 28th.

Added on 05/10/2011

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